ALL AROUND THE BAY OF PA&SAMAQUODDY
A LIST OF INDIAN GEOGRAPHIC NAMES OCCURRING AROUND PASSA
MAQUODDY BAY, MAINE, WITH THEIR DERIVATIONS
Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, and Mount Desert island are all called in
Indian Pdssank or PWssan, " at the clam-digging place or places;"
from ess, " shell," referring here to the clam only; p- prefix, -an ver
bal ending.
Bay of Fundy, a storm-beaten corner of the Atlantic ocean between
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, is to the Indians Wekwabegituk,
" waves at the head of the bay," -tuk referring to waters driven in
waves or moved by the tide. Nowhere else in the world are the tides
so high as in this bay. (See Oak bay.)
Bishop's point, a locality on north head of Grand Manan island, New
Brunswick. Its Indian name, Budeb6-uhigen, means death-trap of
whales, from budeb&-u, " whale "; -higen, a suffix which stands for
" tool" or " instrument."
Campobello island, New Brunswick, is called Ebagwfdek, from its posi
tion between Maine and the mainland of New Brunswick, "floating
between;" dba, between; gwiden, floating. Another Indian name
for this island is Edlitik, which seems to refer to the sudden deepen
ing of the waters on. the west side.
Cherry island, a rocky formation just south of Indian island, New Bruns
wick, is known to the native Indian as Mfsik ngdusis, "at the little
island of trees."
Misi is "tree" or " trees; " misik, " where trees
stand;" negd, abbreviation of m'nfku, "island; "
- sis, diminutive
ending.
Cobscook bay, a body of salt water lying west and southwest of Moose
island. It is the Indian term kdpskuk, "at the waterfalls."
The
tide, rising here daily to about twenty feet, enters into the sinuosi
ties of the shorelands, and the waters returning to the ocean form
rapids, riffles, or cascades (kipsku).
Deer island, New Brunswick, a large isle at the southern extremity of
Passamaquoddy bay, is Eddki m'niku, " of the deer the island."
D'Orville's head, eminence where St Croix river empties into Passama
quoddy bay; Kwagustchus'k, " at the dirty mountain; " from kwag
w6yu, "dirty;" tchus, "mountain;"
- k, locative particle, "at."
The name was long ago corrupted into the more popular " Devil's
head."
Eastport, city and harbor, has the same Indian name as Moose island,
upon which it is built, Musel6nk. This is a corruption from the hy
brid compound Mds-lind'k, its second half being a corruption of
island, with the locative -k appended. The locality where the las
moose was killed, about a century ago, lies on its northern part. The
genuine Indian name for Moose island is Muls m'niku. The Moose
islanders (and the Eastport people especially) are called Mus6lniek.
Eel brook, a small rivulet at the northern end of Grand Manan island,
is in Indian Katek~dik, which stands for Kat-akadik, and signifies
"where (-k) eels (kat) are plentiful (akadi)."